Electric car.



No. 811,967. PATENTED FEB. 6, 1906. L. B. STILLWELL.

ELECTRIC GAR.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 29. 1904.

7 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

No. 811,967. PATENTED FEB. 6, 1906.

L. B. STILLWELL.

ELECTRIC GAR.

APPLIOATION FILED JULY 29 1904.

7 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

il l'lrwsses. M a

No. 811,967. PATENTED FEB. 6, 1906. L. B. STILLWELL.

ELECTRIC GAR.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 29. 1904.

7 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

ad gg w No. 811,967. PATBNTED FEB. 6, 1906. L. B. STILLWELL. ELECTRIC GAR.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 29. 1904.

7 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

. N0. 811.967. PATENTED FEB. 6, 1906.,

L. B. STILLWELL.

ELECTRIC GAR.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 29, 1904.

7 SHEETS-SHEBT 8.

Wz'inesse QWE UNITED STATES PATENT OEEIOE.

LEWIS B. STILLWELL, OF LAKEWOOD, NEW JERSEY.

' ELECTRIC CAR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

.Patented Feb. 6, 1906.

Application filed July 29, 1904. Serial Nb. 218,626.

To all whom it may concern:

equipment-such as motors, rheostats, &c.

as much as possible. The weight of this apparatus may be, as is well known, reduced if the parts be artificially cooled. Reduction of weight is important, not only because it reduces the cost of the equipment but because in some instances the strength of elevated structures or bridges is such that every pound of weight that can be taken from the rolling-stock is of material advantage. The reduction in the weight of the electrical apparatus is further important in that in all cases it will result in a saving in power, and hence a saving inthe cost of operation. In man cases this will amount to a very considerable amount annually. In cold weather the cars-must be heated, and the heat given offby the electrical apparatus would generallybe sufficient to maintain the interior of the car at the desired temperature; but if it be not sufficient in severely cold weather yet whatever heat is thus generated and ap lied effects a saving in power. the heater-load at times constitutes from twentyto thirty per cent. of the full load on the system. So much heat as is given off by the electrical ap aratus and conve ed into the car reduces tfie power-house 10a and increases its capacity for car trafiic. In most electric-railway systems the effect of the irondust and other foreign matter drawn into the motor is ver injurious to them and seriously shortens the ife of the insulation. It is evident that in my invention the air that is supplied to the motors can be drawn from any point desired remote from the iron-dust and other foreign materials. It is desirable to rotect the woodwork of car-bodies against t e possibility of fire, which may originate in the electrical apparatus or conductors. I may attain all these objects in the structure hereinafter described. By inclosing the elec- In some p ants.

trical a paratus in metallic or other fireproof boxes may diminish the danger from fire. By establishing rapid circulation of air through these chambers I may maintain the electrical apparatus at a lower temperature,

therebyincreasing its capacity and efficiency,

and by utilizing the heat thus given off in heating the cars I may effect asaving-inproportion to the amount of heat so utilized.

urthermore, when the heat is not needed to warm the cars the apparatus described may be utilized to ventilate the cars by reversing the direction of the draft through the boxes and passages, the heat being discharged into the open air. Besides the ventilation of the cars even in winter is improved, because instead Of reheating the air already in the car, as is the practice at the present time, pure heated air may be brought in from the exterior and the exhausted air expelled by the pressure thus created.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 1s a longitudinal view, partly in section, of the ..runnin -gear of a car and the motors and control in devices therefor. Fig. 2 is a similar view 0 a modified form of the a paratus shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a sectiona view of the apparatus shown in Fi 2. Fig. 4 shows another modified form of t e apparatus illustrated in Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is in part a sectional view and in part a side view of the structure shown in Fig. 4. Fig. 6 shows another modification of the apparatus shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 7 is a sectional view of the apparatus shown in Fig. 6'. Fi s. 8 and 9 show another modified form 0 the apparatus. Figs. 10. and 11 are detail views of the structure shown in Fig. 9. Fig. 12 is a side view of a car with my invention applied thereto, and Fig. 13 is a top view of the electrical apparatus attached to the car shown in Fig. 12.

Fig. 14 is a detail view of an electric screen.

1m1lar characters of reference Indicate the same or corresponding parts in the several figures.

I will now describe the various structures shown in the accom anyin drawings, which drawings illustrate fbrms o my invention at present preferred by me; but it will be un derstood that various modifications and changes may be made without departing from the spirit of my invention and without exceeding the'scope of the claims concluding this s eclfication.

-Re erring to Fig. 1, A A designate the body or sills of a car. G G arethe wheels thereof.

IIO

i i at the openings I I are the axles to which the motors M and M are geared. F is a fan or blower of suitable construction, and m is a motor by which said fan is 0 erated. M M are motors inclosed, 1n suita le 1IOI1 cases.

When the fan F is in action, air is drawn throu h the opening 0 into the casing of motor lVP, thence through pipe P and through the casing of motor M thence through pipes P and P into the chamber 0, containing the rheostats r, r, r, &c., and'thence through passa es D D into the body of the car, where it is istributed to effect the heating thereof. S is a ball-andsocket and sliding joint for pipe P to permit of independent motion between the motor carried on the runnin -gear and the connection with the frame 0 the car. 0 c c c, &c., are contractors or controllers, which are also shown as inclosed in a casin It will be observed that the air passes st through the casing of motor M and subsequently through the casing of motor M which motors will therefore not operate at the same temperatures. Instead of thus arranging them in series, so to s eak, they may be arranged in parallel, as s own in other figures of the drawings, which.will result in maintaining them at equal temperatures.

Referring to Figs. 2 and 3, these show a construction in which the fans F F are carried by or geared to the motor-shafts instead of being operated by an independent motor, as in the case of Fig. 1 already described. E and E are openin s in the motor cases through which the air enters, these openings being provided with check-valves L and L P and P are pipes leading from the motorcases to the pipe P, the pipes being provided with check-valves L and L respectively.

Assuming the car to be moving toward the right hand, the partial vacuum produced within the case of motor M will cause the valve L to open, admitting air, and the valve L, communicating with pipe P, to close. The

air will then be forced through pipe P and through the case of motor M closing checkvalve L and opening check-valve L It thence flows through the pipes P and P to the chamber C asbefore. When the car moves in the reverse direction or toward the left hand, check-valves L will open and L close, the air passiiiag through pipe P into the casing of motor closing valve L and openin valve L*, which permits it to pass through the pipes P and P to the chamber C and thence to the car.

Referring to Figs. 4 and 5, these show a different form of fan',which is likewise mounted on the motor-shaft and may be included in the motor-casing or may be external there to. The wing-fan employed is shown in vertical section in Fi 5. In this case air enters passes through the motor-casing, and is discharged, by means of pipes P and P into the chamber C, containshown in the other figures.

ing the rheostats. L is a wing-valve which is counterbalanced, so that it Will readily and. automatically assume the proper position to insure the flow of air irrespective of the direction of rotation of the fan. Thus when the fan is rotating clockwise it will assume the position shown in Fig. 5, whereas when it is rotating anticlockwise it will assume an elevated position. This wing-valve can of course be operated mechanically or electrically, instead of its position being determined by the flow of air. In this case the motors are shown arranged in parallel, although they of course might be arranged in series, as

H is a swiveljoint to permit relative motion between the motors and trucks and the car-body.

In Fig. 6 the flow of air is effected by a ventilating-cowl instead of by a fan or blower. In this arrangement the air is scooped in by .the cowl B or B depending upon the direction in which the car is moving. Lis a balanced wing-valve, which when the car is moving toward the right hand automatically as sumes the position shown in dotted lines and when the car is moving toward the left hand automatically assumes the opposite position. The air thus scooped in passes simultaneously through pipes P and P motor-cases M and M pipes P and P to the common dischargeipe P and thence to the chamber C. Tfie ventilating-cowl can be placed in any desired position.

Fig. 7 is a cross-section showing the distribution of the heated air to the interior of the car. The passage D communicates through suitable o enings with longitudinal passages J J, (p aced on the sides of the car, referably under the seats,) from which the iieated air issues through the perforations or openings as, these openings being suitably roportioned to secure as far as may be a uni orm distribution of heat.

In Fig. 8 I have shown electrical mechan- V connected by rod n with the valve L.

When the car moves in one direction, the pin V strikes the tail of lever V on one side and when it moves in the opposite direction strikes it on the other side, thus automatically and ositivel shifting the position of the valve each time the car reverses its direction.

Figs. 12 and 13 show the device of Fig. 6

mounted on a car, the ventilating-cowls bein arran ed on the roof. As shown, the

- va ve is a justed so as to exhaust the air from the car, though it is apparent from the ap liances previously explained that the va ve Y can be arranged to force air throu h the motors and electrical apparatus into t e car. As

illustrated, the air is drawn from .the car through the rheostats 1' r r, &c. then through the shellsof the motors M and M", and is dischar ed through the ventilating-cowl B or B, ependingupon the direction in which the car 1s movmg. When this arrangement isused either to force air into the car or to exhaust the air from the car, it is evident that the iron-dust and other foreign material canresults.

'. Instead of taking the air used in ventilating the motor from a point so remote from the brake-shoes as the roof of the car it ma be taken from under the car at a point sufl'i cientl remote from the brake-shoes to very consi erably diminish the amount of iron dust contained in the ventilating-draft. In-

order to reduce still further the amount of lron-dustm the ventilating-draft, I ropose, when desired, to use some means for e immat ing the iron-dust or a considerable art of it'such, for example, as'asettling-c amber or a magnetic screen. Such a screen I have shown 'ldiagrammatically in Fig. 14-, in which I 25 and 2 5 are electromagnets, and 26 26 26 26 polar extensions of the same, forming a magnetic screen to collect and hold the irondust assing through the-chamber containing 1t. ucha screen may be used in connection .withany of-the constructions heretofore deto secure by Letters Patent, is

,motor' and rheostats, chambers 'contaimng I said elements, means 'for causmga current 0 5o scribed, as will be readily understood.

Having thus described several structures which embody my invention in forms at reses1re- "late through said chamber, and a magnetic cut-preferred by me, what I claim, and

- :11 In. lectric cars the combination of a air at substantially atmospheric ressure to .flow through saidi'chambers and or conveying the air so heated to the interior of the car.

Y 2'. InIelectric cars the combination of a chamber beneaththe floor of the car, a heatgenerating element of theelectrical motivechamber, a motor contained in said chamber,

power equipment'of said car contained in said chamber, a fan, or equivalent device, for causing 'a current of air at substantially atmospheric pressure to flow through said chamber, and a conduit connecting said chamber with the interior of said car.

3. In electric cars the combination of a chamber, a heat-generating element of the electrical -motive-power e uipment of said car contained in said chain er, a fan rotated by the motor propelling said car, means for automatically maintaining the direction of the moving air into or out of the car constant irrespective of the direction in which the motor rotates, and a conduit connecting said chamber with the interior of said car.

4. In electric cars the combination of a chamber, a heat-generating element of the electrical motive-power e uipment of said car contained in said cham er, an entrance passage to said chamber providedwith a valve, means for automatically shlftlng said valve as the direction of the movement of the car is reversed, and means for conveying the air thus heated to the interior of the car.

5, In electric cars, the combination of a chamber, a heat-generating element ofthe electric motive-power equipment of said car contained in said chamber, an entrance-pas sage to' said chamber provided with a valve rection of the movement of the car is'reversed, said means consisting of electricall actuated mechanism interlocked with tii e electric circuits by which the car movements are determined. 1

6. In electric cars, the combinationof a chamber/a motor contained in said chamber, means for causin a current of air to circulate through sai chamber and means for eliminating from said current iron-dustbefore it is introducedinto said chamber. v

7. In electric cars, the combination of ameans for causing a current of air to circu screen past which the current circulates be-' fore reaching said chamber. In testimony whereof I have signed my two, subscribing witnesses.

f i 7 .LEWIS B; STILLWELL. Witnesses; W. Evnnrrr Rimmin HENRY ST. Omm-lu'ruau."

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5 and means for shlfting said valve as the di- 1 IC DO name to this specification in the'presence of 

